FedEx Corporation

07/21/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/21/2025 14:14

Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ending May 31, 2025 (Form 10-K)

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION
ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION
This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition ("MD&A") of FedEx Corporation ("FedEx") is composed of three major sections: Results of Operations and Outlook, Financial Condition, and Critical Accounting Estimates. These sections include the following information:
Results of operations includes an overview of our consolidated 2025 results compared to 2024 results. This section also includes a discussion of key actions and events that impacted our results. Discussion and analysis of 2023 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2024 results and 2023 results can be found in "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Annual Report") for the year ended May 31, 2024.
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The overview is followed by a discussion of both historical operating results for our business segments during 2025 and 2024 and our outlook for 2026, as well as a financial summary and analysis for each of our transportation segments in place during 2025 and 2024.
Our financial condition is reviewed through an analysis of key elements of our liquidity and capital resources, financial commitments, and liquidity outlook for 2026.
Critical accounting estimates discusses those financial statement elements that we believe are most important to understanding the material judgments and assumptions incorporated in our financial results.
The discussion in MD&A should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this Annual Report, particularly "Item 1. Business," "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS SEGMENTS
We provide a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce, and business services, offering integrated business solutions utilizing our flexible, efficient, and intelligent global network. Our primary operating companies are Federal Express Corporation ("Federal Express"), the world's largest express transportation company and a leading North American provider of small-package ground delivery services, and FedEx Freight, Inc. ("FedEx Freight"), a leading North American provider of less-than-truckload ("LTL") freight transportation services.
In connection with our one FedEx consolidation plan, on June 1, 2024, FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. ("FedEx Ground") and FedEx Corporate Services, Inc ("FedEx Services") were merged into Federal Express, becoming a single company operating a unified, fully integrated air-ground express network under the respected FedEx brand. FedEx Freight continues to provide LTL freight transportation services as a separate subsidiary. Beginning in the first quarter of 2025, Federal Express and FedEx Freight represent our major service lines and constitute our reportable segments. Additionally, the results of FedEx Custom Critical, Inc. ("FedEx Custom Critical") are included in the FedEx Freight segment instead of the Federal Express segment in 2025. Prior-year amounts were revised to reflect this presentation. See "Reportable Segments" below and "Item 1. Business" for additional information.
In December 2024, we announced that FedEx's Board of Directors decided to pursue a full separation of FedEx Freight through the capital markets, creating a new publicly traded company. The transaction, which would be implemented through the spin-off of shares of the new company to FedEx stockholders, is expected to be tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes for FedEx stockholders and be completed by June 2026. See Item 1A. "Risk Factors- The planned spin-off of FedEx Freight may not be completed on the terms or timeline currently contemplated, if at all, and there is no guarantee that the spin-off, if completed, will achieve the intended financial and strategic benefits."
In January 2025, the Board of Directors approved a change in FedEx's fiscal year end from May 31 to December 31. The fiscal year change will be effective for the period beginning June 1, 2026.
References to our transportation segments include, collectively, the Federal Express segment and the FedEx Freight segment.
The key indicators necessary to understand our operating results include:
the overall customer demand for our various services based on macroeconomic factors and the global economy;
the volumes of transportation services provided through our networks, primarily measured by our average daily volume and shipment weight and size;
the mix of services purchased by our customers;
the prices we obtain for our services, primarily measured by yield (revenue per package or pound or revenue per shipment or hundredweight for LTL freight shipments);
our ability to manage our cost structure (capital expenditures and operating expenses) to match shifting volume levels; and
the timing and amount of fluctuations in fuel prices and our ability to recover incremental fuel costs through our fuel surcharges.
Trends Affecting Our Business
The following trends significantly affect the indicators discussed above, as well as our business and operating results. See the risk factors identified under Item 1A. "Risk Factors"for more information. Additionally, see "Results of Operations and Outlook - Consolidated Results - Business Optimization Costs and - Outlook" and "Financial Condition - Liquidity Outlook" below for additional information on efforts we are taking to mitigate adverse trends.
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Macroeconomic Conditions
While macroeconomic risks apply to most companies, we are particularly vulnerable. The transportation industry is highly cyclical and especially susceptible to trends in economic activity. Our primary business is to transport goods, so our business levels are directly tied to the purchase and production of goods and the rate of global trade growth. The decline in U.S. imports of consumer goods that started in late 2022, along with slowed global industrial production, has contributed to weakened business conditions for the transportation industry. Consequently, this environment has led to lower shipments at FedEx Freight, negatively affecting our results in 2025. In the latter half of 2025, the U.S. government began the process of significantly increasing the rates and broadening the scope of tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States. In response, several foreign governments imposed new tariffs on certain goods imported from the United States, and additional U.S. and retaliatory measures are possible in 2026. Additional changes to global trade policies could lead to increased tariffs, export controls, quotas, embargoes, or sanctions, which may lead to increased prices or trade limitations for goods transported globally, potentially reducing customer demand for our services.
Inflation and Interest Rates
During 2025, global inflation decelerated year-over-year but continues to be above historical levels. Additionally, global interest rates remained elevated in an effort to curb inflation. We are experiencing pressure on demand for our transportation services, particularly our priority services, as elevated inflation and interest rates are negatively affecting consumer and business spending. We expect inflation and high interest rates to continue to negatively affect our results in 2026.
Fuel
We must purchase large quantities of fuel to operate our aircraft and vehicles, and the price and availability of fuel is beyond our control and can be highly volatile. The timing and amount of fluctuations in fuel prices and our ability to recover incremental fuel costs through our fuel surcharges can significantly affect our operating results either positively or negatively in the short term. Lower fuel prices negatively affected yields through lower fuel surcharges at FedEx Freight and reduced fuel expense at both of our transportation segments during 2025.
Geopolitical Conflicts
Given the nature of our business and our global operations, geopolitical conflicts may adversely affect our business and results of operations. While we do not expect ongoing geopolitical conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East, or escalations thereof, to have a direct material impact on our business or results of operations, the broader consequences are adversely affecting the global economy and may also have the effect of heightening other risks disclosed under Item 1A. "Risk Factors."
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND OUTLOOK
Many of our operating expenses are directly affected by revenue and volume levels, and we expect these operating expenses to fluctuate on a year-over-year basis consistent with changes in revenue and volumes. Therefore, the discussion of operating expense captions focuses on the key drivers and trends affecting expenses other than those factors strictly related to changes in revenue and volumes. The line item "Other" includes costs associated with outside service contracts (such as information technology services, temporary labor, facility services, and security), insurance, professional fees, and operational supplies.
Except as otherwise specified, references to years indicate our fiscal year ended May 31, 2025 or ended May 31 of the year referenced, and comparisons are to the corresponding period of the prior year.
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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS
The following table compares summary operating results (dollars in millions, except per share amounts) for the years ended May 31:
2025⁽¹⁾ 2024⁽¹⁾ Percent Change
Consolidated revenue $ 87,926 $ 87,693 -
Operating income (loss):
Federal Express segment 4,885 4,819 1
FedEx Freight segment 1,489 1,821 (18)
Corporate, other, and eliminations (1,157) (1,081) 7
Consolidated operating income 5,217 5,559 (6)
Operating margin:
Federal Express segment 6.5 % 6.5 % - bp
FedEx Freight segment 16.7 % 19.3 % (260) bp
Consolidated operating margin 5.9 % 6.3 % (40) bp
Consolidated net income $ 4,092 $ 4,331 (6)
Diluted earnings per share $ 16.81 $ 17.21 (2)
The following table shows changes in revenue and operating results by reportable segment for 2025 compared to 2024 (in millions):
Year-over-Year Changes
Revenue
Operating Results(1)
Federal Express segment $ 641 $ 66
FedEx Freight segment (537) (332)
Corporate, other, and eliminations 129 (76)
$ 233 $ (342)
(1) The following is a summary of the effects of the (costs) benefits of certain items affecting our financial results for the years ended May 31 (in millions):
2025 2024
Items affecting Operating Income:
Business optimization costs $ (756) $ (582)
Asset impairment charges (21) (157)
International regulatory and legacy FedEx Ground legal matters (88) 57
FedEx Freight spin-off costs (38) -
$ (903) $ (682)
Items affecting Net Income:
Mark-to-market ("MTM") retirement plans accounting adjustments, net of tax $ 390 $ 426
FedEx Freight spin-off costs, net of tax (44) -
Remeasurement of state deferred income taxes under one FedEx structure - (54)
$ 346 $ 372
Overview
Operating income declined in 2025 primarily due to lower shipments and fuel surcharges at FedEx Freight, a continued mix shift toward deferred package services which constrained yield growth, and the expiration of our contract with the U.S. Postal Service ("USPS"). In addition, operating results for 2025 were negatively affected by increased purchased transportation and wage rates and two fewer operating days at both of our transportation segments.
Partially offsetting these pressures were continued savings related to DRIVE and higher demand for international economy and U.S. ground package services. Our DRIVE initiatives for 2025 included the continued structural transformation of our network, improving
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the efficiency of our information technology and back-office functions, optimizing operations in Europe, and increasing linehaul efficiencies.
Operating income in 2025and 2024includes $756 million ($577 million, net of tax, or $2.37 per diluted share) and $582 million($444 million, net of tax, or $1.77per diluted share), respectively, of expenses associated with our DRIVE business optimization strategy to drive efficiency and lower our overhead and support costs. See the "Business Optimization Costs" section of this MD&A for more information.
Operating income in 2025and 2024 includes $21 million ($16 million, net of tax, or $0.06 per diluted share) and $157 million($120 million, net of tax, or $0.48per diluted share), respectively, of asset impairment charges associated with the decision to permanently retire certain aircraft and related engines at Federal Express. See the "Asset Impairment Charges" section of this MD&A for more information.
Operating income in 2025 includes $88 million of net expenses ($90 million, net of tax, or $0.37 per diluted share) for international regulatory and legacy FedEx Ground legal matters included in Federal Express. Operating income in 2024 includes a $57 million benefit ($44 million, net of tax, or $0.17 per diluted share) for insurance recoveries in connection with a separate legacy FedEx Ground legal matter included in "Corporate, other, and eliminations."
We incurred costs related to the planned spin-off of FedEx Freight of $56 million ($44 million, net of tax, or $0.18 per diluted share) in 2025. These costs are included in Corporate, other, and eliminations and consist of $38 million of professional and legal fees included in other operating expenses and $18 million related to the debt exchange offer and consent solicitation transactions discussed in Note 7of the accompanying financial statements included in other, net. We did not incur any FedEx Freight spin-off costs in 2024.
Net income includes a pre-tax, noncash gain of $515 million in 2025 ($390 million, net of tax, or $1.60 per diluted share) and a gain of $561 million in 2024 ($426 million, net of tax, or $1.69 per diluted share) associated with our MTM retirement plans accounting adjustments. See the "Retirement Plans MTM Adjustments" section of this MD&A and Note 14of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information.
Net income in 2024 includes a $54 million ($0.21 per diluted share) tax expense related to the remeasurement of state deferred income taxes under the new one FedEx structure. See the "Income Taxes" section of this MD&A and Note 13of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information.
During 2025, we repurchased 10.9 million shares of FedEx common stock under accelerated share repurchase ("ASR") and open market transactions at an average price of $274.34 per share for a total of $3.0 billion. Share repurchases had a benefit of $0.44 per diluted share in 2025. In fiscal 2026 we have completed $500 million of share repurchases through open market transactions and as of July 21, 2025, $1.6 billion remained available to be used for repurchases under the stock repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors in March 2024. See Note 1of the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the "Financial Condition-Liquidity" section of this MD&A for additional information on our stock repurchases.
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The following graphs for Federal Express and FedEx Freight show selected volume trends (in thousands) calculated on a 5-day-per-week basis for the years ended May 31:
Prior year statistical information has been revised to conform to the current year presentation.
(1)International domestic average daily package volume relates to our international intra-country operations. International export average daily package volume relates to our international priority and economy services.
(2)International average daily freight pounds relate to our international priority and economy services.
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The following graphs for Federal Express and FedEx Freight show selected yield trends for the years ended May 31:
Prior year statistical information has been revised to conform to the current year presentation.
(1)International export revenue per package relates to our international priority and economy services. International domestic revenue per package relates to our international intra-country operations.
(2)International freight revenue per pound relates to our international priority and economy services.
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Revenue
Revenue was flat in 2025 primarily due to increased base yields at both of our transportation segments and higher volume at Federal Express, which offset two fewer operating days at both of our transportation segments, lower shipments and fuel surcharges at FedEx Freight, and unfavorable currency exchange rates.
Federal Express revenue increased 1% in 2025 primarily due to increased international economy and U.S. ground package volume and improved base yields, partially offset by lower priority package volume, the expiration of our contract with the USPS on September 29, 2024, two fewer operating days, and unfavorable exchange rates. FedEx Freight revenue decreased 6% in 2025 primarily due to lower shipments, fuel surcharges, weight per shipment, and two fewer operating days, partially offset by base yield improvement. Revenue at Corporate, other, and eliminations increased in 2025 primarily due to higher yields and shipments at FedEx Logistics, Inc. ("FedEx Logistics").
Operating Expenses
The following table compares operating expenses expressed as dollar amounts (in millions) and as a percent of revenue for the years ended May 31:
Percent Change Percent of Revenue
2025 2024 2025 2024
Operating expenses:
Salaries and employee benefits $ 31,232 $ 30,961 1 35.5 % 35.3 %
Purchased transportation 21,768 20,921 4 24.8 23.9
Rentals and landing fees 4,647 4,571 2 5.3 5.2
Depreciation and amortization 4,264 4,287 (1) 4.8 4.9
Fuel 3,775 4,710 (20) 4.3 5.4
Maintenance and repairs 3,245 3,291 (1) 3.7 3.7
Asset impairment charges(1)
21 157 (87) - 0.2
Business optimization costs(2)
756 582 30 0.9 0.7
Other(3)
13,001 12,654 3 14.8 14.4
Total operating expenses 82,709 82,134 1 94.1 93.7
Total operating income $ 5,217 $ 5,559 (6) 5.9 % 6.3 %
(1)Includes asset impairment charges in 2025 and 2024 associated with the Federal Express operating segment.
(2)Includes costs associated with our DRIVE program in 2025 and 2024 and the workforce reduction plan in Europe in 2025.
(3)Includes $88 million of net expenses in 2025 associated with international regulatory and legacy FedEx Ground legal matters and $38 million of professional and legal fees also in 2025 related to the planned spin-off of FedEx Freight. Includes a $57 million benefit in 2024 for insurance recoveries in connection with a separate legacy FedEx Ground legal matter.
Operating income declined in 2025 primarily due to lower shipments and fuel surcharges at FedEx Freight, a continued mix shift toward deferred package services which constrained yield growth, and the expiration of our contract with the USPS. In addition, operating results for 2025 were negatively affected by increased purchased transportation and wage rates and two fewer operating days at both of our transportation segments.
Partially offsetting these pressures were continued savings related to DRIVE and higher demand for international economy and U.S. ground package services. Our DRIVE initiatives for 2025 included the continued structural transformation of our network, improving the efficiency of our information technology and back-office functions, optimizing operations in Europe, and increasing linehaul efficiencies.
Purchased transportation expense increased 4% in 2025 primarily due to higher rates as well as an increase in U.S. ground volume and commercial linehaul to support international economy volume growth and network changes, partially offset by savings from our DRIVE initiatives, lower fuel prices, and favorable currency exchange rates. Other operating expenses increased 3% in 2025 primarily due to net expenses for international regulatory and legacy FedEx Ground legal matters in 2025 and higher bad debt and self-insurance accruals. Salaries and employee benefits expense increased 1% in 2025 primarily due to an increase in wage rates and an increase in retirement benefits due to changes in our defined contribution plan that increased the number of eligible employees at Federal Express, partially offset by savings from our DRIVE initiatives, lower variable incentive compensation, and favorable currency exchange rates.
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Fuel
We apply a fuel surcharge on our air and ground services, most of which are adjusted on a weekly basis. The fuel surcharge is based on a weekly fuel price from ten days prior to the week in which it is assessed. Some Federal Express international fuel surcharges are updated on a monthly basis. We routinely review our fuel surcharges and periodically update the tables used to determine our fuel surcharges at all of our transportation segments.
While fluctuations in fuel surcharge percentages can be significant from period to period, fuel surcharges represent one of the many individual components of our pricing structure that impact our overall revenue and yield. Additional components include the mix of services sold, the base price, and extra service charges we obtain for these services and level of pricing discounts offered.
Fuel expense decreased 20% during 2025 due to lower fuel prices and usage. In addition to variability in usage and market prices, the manner in which we purchase fuel also influences our results. For example, our contracts for jet fuel purchases at Federal Express are tied to various indices, including the U.S. Gulf Coast index. While many of these indices are aligned, each index may fluctuate at a different pace, driving variability in the prices paid for jet fuel. Furthermore, under these contractual arrangements, approximately 60% of our jet fuel is purchased based on the index price for the preceding week, with the remainder of our purchases tied primarily to the index price for the preceding month and preceding day, rather than based on daily spot rates. These contractual provisions mitigate the impact of rapidly changing daily spot rates on our jet fuel purchases.
Because of the factors described above, our operating results may be affected should the market price of fuel suddenly change by a significant amount or change by amounts that do not result in an adjustment in our fuel surcharges, which can significantly affect our earnings either positively or negatively in the short term. For more information, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors."
Asset Impairment Charges
In 2025, we made the decision to permanently retire from service 12 aircraft and eight related engines, resulting in a noncash impairment charge of $21 million ($16 million, net of tax, or $0.06 per diluted share). These retirements included two Boeing 757-200 aircraft, seven Airbus A300-600 aircraft, three Boeing MD-11 aircraft, and align with Federal Express's fleet reduction and modernization strategy as we continue to improve our global network efficiency and better align air network capacity with anticipated demand.
In 2024, we made the decision to permanently retire from service 22 Boeing 757-200 aircraft and seven related engines to align with Federal Express's fleet reduction and modernization strategy. As a consequence of this decision, a noncash impairment charge of $157 million ($120 million, net of tax, or $0.48 per diluted share) was recorded in 2024.
Business Optimization Costs
In the second quarter of 2023, we announced DRIVE, a comprehensive program to improve long-term profitability. This program includes a business optimization plan to drive efficiency within and between our transportation segments, lower our overhead and support costs, and transform our digital capabilities. We have commenced our plan to consolidate our sortation facilities and equipment, reduce pickup-and-delivery routes, and optimize our enterprise linehaul network by moving beyond discrete collaboration to an end-to-end optimized network through Network 2.0, the multi-year effort to improve the efficiency with which FedEx picks up, transports, and delivers packages in the U.S. and Canada.
We have implemented Network 2.0 optimization in approximately 290 locations in the U.S and Canada as of May 31, 2025. Service providers will handle the pickup and delivery of Federal Express packages in some locations while employee couriers will handle others. We completed Canada's implementation of Network 2.0 in the fourth quarter of 2025 and expect to complete the U.S. implementation by the end of calendar 2027.
In June 2024, Federal Express announced a workforce reduction plan in Europe as part of its ongoing measures to reduce structural costs. The plan will impact approximately 1,400 employees in Europe across back-office and commercial functions. The execution of the plan is subject to a consultation process that is expected to occur over an 18-month period in accordance with local country processes and regulations. We expect savings from the plan to be approximately $150 million on an annualized basis beginning in calendar 2026.
We expect the pre-tax cost of the severance benefits and legal and professional fees to be provided under and related to our workforce reduction plan in Europe to range from $250 million to $275 million in cash expenditures through fiscal 2026. The timing and amount of our business optimization expenses and the related cost savings from the workforce reduction plan may change as we revise and implement our plans. The identification of costs as business optimization-related expenditures is subject to our disclosure controls and procedures.
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We incurred business optimization costs of $756 million ($577 million, net of tax, or $2.37 per diluted share) in 2025, including $235 million of costs related to the workforce reduction plan in Europe. These costs were primarily related to professional services and severance, and are included in Federal Express and Corporate, other, and eliminations. We incurred costs associated with our business optimization activities of $582 million ($444 million, net of tax, or $1.77 per diluted share) in 2024. These costs were primarily related to professional services and severance and are included in Corporate, other, and eliminations and Federal Express. The aggregate pre-tax cost of our business optimization activities was $1.6 billion through 2025.
FedEx Freight Spin-Off Costs
We incurred costs related to the planned spin-off of FedEx Freight of $56 million ($44 million, net of tax, or $0.18 per diluted share) in 2025. These costs are included in Corporate, other, and eliminations and consist of $38 million of professional and legal fees included in other operating expenses and $18 million related to the debt exchange offer and consent solicitation transactions discussed in Note 7of the accompanying financial statements included in other, net. We did not incur any FedEx Freight spin-off costs in 2024.
Other Income and Expense
Interest expense increased $44 million and interest income decreased $7 million in 2025. Higher notional balances on cross-currency swaps resulted in both higher interest income and higher interest expense, with the interest income being more than offset by lower average cash balances and lower interest rates.
Retirement Plans MTM Adjustments
In 2025, we incurred a pre-tax, noncash MTM gain of $515 million ($390 million, net of tax, or $1.60 per diluted share) related to the year-end actuarial adjustments of pension and postretirement healthcare plans' assets and liabilities. These actuarial adjustments were due to higher discount rates, partially offset by changes to the actuarial assumptions regarding rates of retirement.
In 2024, we incurred a pre-tax, noncash MTM gain of $561 million ($426 million, net of tax, or $1.69 per diluted share) related to the year-end actuarial adjustments of pension and postretirement healthcare plans' assets and liabilities. These actuarial adjustments were due to higher discount rates, partially offset by changes to the actuarial assumptions regarding rates of retirement and short-term cash balance interest credits.
For more information, see the "Critical Accounting Estimates" section of this MD&A and Note 1and Note 14of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate was 24.8% for 2025, compared to 25.8% for 2024. The 2025 tax provision includes a net income tax benefit of $46 million ($0.19 per diluted share) arising primarily from changes in our corporate legal entity structure and revisions of prior year estimates for actual tax return results. The 2024 tax provision includes an income tax expense of $54 million ($0.21 per diluted share) from the remeasurement of U.S. state deferred tax balances related to the merger of FedEx Ground and FedEx Services into Federal Express.
Several countries in which the company operates have adopted the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's global framework implementing a 15% corporate minimum tax, commonly referred to as Pillar Two. Pillar Two did not have a material effect on the company's 2025 income tax provision.
We are subject to taxation in the U.S. and various U.S. state, local, and foreign jurisdictions. We are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for the 2016 through 2021 tax years. It is reasonably possible that certain income tax return proceedings will be completed during the next 12 months and could result in a change in our balance of unrecognized tax benefits. However, we believe we have recorded adequate amounts of tax, including interest and penalties, for any adjustments expected to occur.
During 2021, we filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee challenging the validity of a tax regulation related to the one-time transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings, which was enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("TCJA"). Our lawsuit sought to have the court declare this regulation invalid and order the refund of overpayments of U.S. federal income taxes for 2018 and 2019 attributable to the denial of foreign tax credits under the regulation. We have recorded a cumulative benefit of $249 million attributable to our interpretation of the TCJA and the Internal Revenue Code. In March 2023, the District Court ruled that the regulation is invalid and contradicts the plain terms of the tax code. On February 13, 2025, the District Court ruled again in our favor with regard to a new argument raised by the U.S. government. On June 4, 2025, the District Court validated the amount of refunds owed for 2018 and 2019, which includes the foreign tax credits previously denied. The U.S. government has until August 4, 2025, to appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. If we are ultimately unsuccessful in defending our position, we may be required to reverse the benefit previously recorded.
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For more information on income taxes, see the "Critical Accounting Estimates" section of this MD&A and Note 13of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Equity Investments
As of May 31, 2025 and 2024, the carrying value of our equity investments were $506 million and $360 million, respectively. For more information on equity investments, see Note 20of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Outlook
The uncertainty over the current trade and geopolitical environment and the impact it may continue to have on customer demand and shipping patterns globally makes expectations for 2026 operating and financial performance inherently less clear. However, based on the current trends, we expect the industrial economy to continue pressuring demand for our higher-yielding business-to-business services in the near term, and service mix to continue shifting further toward deferred service offerings. We will continue to execute on our revenue quality strategy to mitigate yield pressures through surcharge management and optimizing our customer and service mix. We will also continue our transformation programs, where we expect to see an incremental $1 billion in structural cost reduction benefits from DRIVE and Network 2.0 in 2026, as we continue to align our cost base with demand and increase the flexibility of our network. We expect the unfavorable impact of the expiration of the contract for Federal Express to provide the USPS domestic transportation services in September 2024 to continue through September 2025.
See the "Business Optimization Costs" section of this MD&A for additional information on our DRIVE program and other cost savings initiatives.
Our capital expenditures for 2026 are expected to be approximately $4.5 billion, $0.4 billion higher than 2025. The increase is driven by investment in Network 2.0 initiatives and other efforts to modernize our facilities and package handling equipment in the U.S. and internationally. Aircraft spend is expected to decline to approximately $1.0 billion, $0.3 billion lower than 2025.
We will continue to evaluate our investments in critical long-term strategic projects to ensure our capital expenditures are expected to generate high returns on investment and are balanced with our outlook for global economic conditions. For additional details on key 2026 capital projects, refer to the "Financial Condition - Capital Resources" and "Financial Condition - Liquidity Outlook" sections of this MD&A.
In June 2024, Federal Express announced a workforce reduction plan in Europe as part of its ongoing measures to reduce structural costs. The plan will impact approximately 1,400 employees in Europe across back-office and commercial functions. The execution of the plan is subject to a consultation process that is expected to occur over an 18-month period in accordance with local country processes and regulations. We expect the pre-tax cost of the severance benefits and legal and professional fees to be provided under and related to the plan to range from $250 million to $275 million in cash expenditures. These charges are expected to be incurred through fiscal 2026 and will be classified as business optimization expenses. In 2025, we incurred $235 million of costs related to this plan. We expect savings from the plan to be approximately $150 million on an annualized basis beginning in calendar 2026.
In December 2024, we announced that FedEx's management and Board of Directors had decided to pursue a full separation of FedEx Freight through the capital markets, creating a new publicly traded company. The separation is expected to be executed by June 2026.
The uncertainty of international trade-related volatility, geopolitical challenges including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East, global inflation, and the effect these factors will have on the rate of growth of global trade, supply chains, fuel prices, and our business in particular, make any expectations for 2026 inherently less certain. See "Item 1A. Risk Factors" for more information.
See "Forward-Looking Statements," "Item 1A. Risk Factors," "Trends Affecting Our Business," and "Critical Accounting Estimates" for a discussion of these and other potential risks and uncertainties that could materially affect our future performance.
Seasonality of Business
Our businesses are cyclical in nature, as seasonal fluctuations affect volumes, revenue, and earnings. Historically, our U.S. express priority and deferred package services experience an increase in volumes in late November and December. Historically, the fall is the busiest shipping period for U.S. ground services, while late December, June and July are the slowest periods. International business, particularly in the Asia-to-U.S. market, peaks in October and November in advance of the U.S. holiday sales season. Our first and third fiscal quarters, because they are summer vacation and post winter-holiday seasons, have historically experienced lower volumes relative to other periods. For FedEx Freight, the spring and fall are the busiest periods and the latter part of December through February is the slowest period. Shipment levels, operating costs, and earnings for each of our companies can also be adversely affected by inclement weather, particularly the impact of severe winter weather in our third fiscal quarter. See "Item 1A. Risk Factors" for more information.
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RECENT ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE
See Note 2of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a discussion of recent accounting guidance.
REPORTABLE SEGMENTS
Federal Express and FedEx Freight represent our major service lines and constitute our reportable segments. Our reportable segments include the following businesses.
Federal Express Segment
Federal Express (express transportation, small-package ground delivery, and freight transportation)
FedEx Freight Segment
FedEx Freight (LTL freight transportation)
FedEx Custom Critical (time-critical transportation)
The Federal Express segment operates combined sales, marketing, administrative, and information-technology functions in shared service operations for U.S. customers of our major business units and certain back-office support to FedEx Freight and our other operating segments which allows us to obtain synergies from the combination of these functions. We allocate the net operating costs of these services to reflect the full cost of operating our businesses in the results of those segments. We review and evaluate the performance of FedEx Freight and our other operating segments based on operating income inclusive of these allocations.
Operating expenses for our FedEx Freight segment include allocations of these services from the Federal Express segment. These allocations also include charges and credits for administrative services provided between operating companies. The allocations of net operating costs are based on metrics such as relative revenue or estimated services provided. We believe these allocations approximate the net cost of providing these functions. Our allocation methodologies are refined periodically, as necessary, to reflect changes in our businesses.
CORPORATE, OTHER, AND ELIMINATIONS
Corporate and other includes corporate headquarters costs for executive officers and certain legal and finance functions, certain other costs and credits not attributed to our core business, and certain costs associated with developing integrated business solutions through our FedEx Dataworks, Inc. ("FedEx Dataworks") operating segment. FedEx Dataworks is focused on creating solutions to transform the digital and physical experiences of our customers and team members.
Also included in Corporate and other is the FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc. ("FedEx Office") operating segment, which provides an array of document and business services and retail access to our customers for our package transportation businesses, and the FedEx Logistics operating segment, which provides integrated supply chain management solutions, specialty transportation, customs brokerage, and global ocean and air freight forwarding.
The results of Corporate, other, and eliminations are not allocated to the other business segments.
In 2025, the decline in operating results in Corporate, other, and eliminations was primarily due to a decrease in operating results at FedEx Dataworks and a $57 million benefit in 2024 at FedEx Corporate for insurance recoveries in connection with a legacy FedEx Ground legal matter, partially offset by improved operating results at FedEx Office. The decline in operating results at FedEx Dataworks was primarily due to increased business optimization costs, salaries and employee benefits expense, and outside service contracts expense. The improvement in operating results at FedEx Office was primarily due to lower salaries and employee benefits expense and higher revenue.
Certain FedEx operating companies provide transportation and related services for other FedEx companies outside their reportable segment in order to optimize our resources.For example, during 2025 FedEx Freight provided road and intermodal support for Federal Express. In addition, Federal Express works with FedEx Logistics to secure air charters and other cargo space for U.S. customers. Billings for such services are based on negotiated rates and are reflected as revenue of the billing segment. These rates are adjusted from time to time based on market conditions. Such intersegment revenue and expenses are eliminated in our consolidated results and are not separately identified in the following segment information because the amounts are not material.
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FEDERAL EXPRESS SEGMENT
Federal Express offers a wide range of U.S. domestic and international shipping services for delivery of packages and freight including priority, deferred, and economy services, which provide delivery on a time-definite or day-definite basis. The following table compares revenue, operating expenses, operating income (dollars in millions), operating margin, and operating expenses as a percent of revenue for the years ended May 31:
2025 2024 Percent Change
Revenue:
Package:
U.S. priority $ 10,520 $ 10,543 -
U.S. deferred 5,007 4,926 2
U.S. ground 33,887 32,981 3
Total U.S. domestic package revenue 49,414 48,450 2
International priority 8,737 9,454 (8)
International economy 5,861 4,653 26
Total international export package revenue 14,598 14,107 3
International domestic(1)
4,495 4,659 (4)
Total package revenue 68,507 67,216 2
Freight:
U.S. 1,536 2,391 (36)
International priority 2,320 2,205 5
International economy 1,975 1,874 5
Total freight revenue 5,831 6,470 (10) Percent of Revenue
Other 966 977 (1) 2025 2024
Total revenue 75,304 74,663 1 100.0 % 100.0 %
Operating expenses:
Salaries and employee benefits 25,091 24,606 2 33.3 33.0
Purchased transportation 19,974 19,330 3 26.5 25.9
Rentals and landing fees 3,939 3,863 2 5.2 5.2
Depreciation and amortization 3,722 3,754 (1) 5.0 5.0
Fuel 3,316 4,137 (20) 4.4 5.5
Maintenance and repairs 2,799 2,848 (2) 3.7 3.8
Asset impairment charges 21 157 (87) - 0.2
Business optimization costs 384 251 53 0.5 0.3
Intercompany allocations (791) (684) 16 (1.0) (0.9)
Other 11,964 11,582 3 15.9 15.5
Total operating expenses 70,419 69,844 1 93.5 % 93.5 %
Operating income $ 4,885 $ 4,819 1
Operating margin 6.5 % 6.5 % - bp
(1)International domestic revenue relates to our international intra-country operations.
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The following table compares selected statistics (in thousands, except yield amounts) for the years ended May 31:
2025 2024 Percent Change
Package Statistics
Average daily package volume (ADV)(1):
U.S. priority 1,609 1,649 (2)
U.S. deferred 1,052 1,015 4
U.S. ground commercial 4,252 4,276 (1)
U.S. ground home delivery/economy 7,041 6,678 5
Total U.S. domestic ADV 13,954 13,618 2
International priority 584 667 (12)
International economy 553 394 40
Total international export ADV 1,137 1,061 7
International domestic(2)
1,910 1,936 (1)
Total ADV 17,001 16,615 2
Revenue per package (yield):
U.S. priority $ 25.74 $ 24.98 3
U.S. deferred 18.75 18.97 (1)
U.S. ground 11.81 11.76 -
U.S. domestic composite 13.94 13.90 -
International priority 58.89 55.36 6
International economy 41.74 46.14 (10)
International export composite 50.55 51.94 (3)
International domestic(2)
9.26 9.40 (1)
Composite package yield 15.86 15.80 -
Freight Statistics
Average daily freight pounds:
U.S. 3,137 5,636 (44)
International priority 4,651 4,444 5
International economy 11,365 11,364 -
Total average daily freight pounds 19,153 21,444 (11)
Revenue per pound (yield):
U.S. $ 1.93 $ 1.66 16
International priority 1.96 1.94 1
International economy 0.68 0.64 6
Composite freight yield 1.20 1.18 2
Prior year statistical information has been revised to conform to the current presentation.
(1)ADV is calculated on a 5-day-per-week basis.
(2)International domestic statistics relate to our international intra-country operations.
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Federal Express Segment Revenue
Federal Express segment revenue increased 1% in 2025 primarily due to increased international economy and U.S. ground package volume and improved base yields, partially offset by lower priority package and U.S. freight volume, two fewer operating days, and unfavorable currency exchange rates.
Yield:
U.S. domestic composite package yield increased slightly in 2025 due to higher base rates from our continued focus on revenue quality. Composite freight yield increased 2% in 2025 primarily due to improved U.S. freight yield resulting from the expiration of our contract with the USPS on September 29, 2024 and an increase in international economy freight yield due to improved market strength. International export composite package yield decreased 3% in 2025 primarily due to unfavorable service mix.
Volume:
International economy package volume increased 40% in 2025 primarily due to continued growth in our deferred service offerings as a result of strengthening e-commerce. U.S. ground home delivery/economy package volume increased 5% in 2025, also primarily due to strong growth in e-commerce. U.S. deferred package volume increased 4% in 2025 primarily due to mix shift toward our deferred service offerings. International and U.S. priority package volumes decreased 12% and 2%, respectively, in 2025 primarily due to softness in the global industrial economy. U.S. average daily freight pounds decreased 44% in 2025 primarily due to the expiration of our contract with the USPS on September 29, 2024.
Federal Express Segment Operating Income
Federal Express segment operating income increased 1% in 2025 primarily due to higher base yields and volume, partially offset by increased operating expenses and two fewer operating days. The increase in operating expenses was driven by increased wage and purchased transportation rates, employee benefits, and business optimization costs, partially offset by lower fuel prices and continued benefits from DRIVE initiatives that drove a reduction in our permanent cost structure. These initiatives included the continued structural transformation of our network, improving the efficiency of our information technology and back-office functions, optimizing operations in Europe, and increasing linehaul efficiencies. Currency exchange rates had a negative effect on revenue and a positive effect on expenses and operating income in 2025.
Purchased transportation expense increased 3% in 2025 primarily due to higher rates as well as an increase in U.S. ground volume and an increase in commercial linehaul to support international economy volume growth and network changes, partially offset by savings from our DRIVE initiatives and lower fuel prices. Salaries and employee benefits expense increased 2% in 2025 primarily due to an increase in wage rates and an increase in retirement benefits due to changes to our defined contribution plan which increased the number of eligible employees, partially offset by savings from our DRIVE initiatives and lower variable incentive compensation. Other operating expense increased 3% in 2025 primarily due to higher self-insurance accruals, net expenses for international regulatory and legacy FedEx Ground legal matters in 2025, and higher credit losses. Fuel expense decreased 20% in 2025 due to decreases in fuel prices and usage from lower flight hours.
Federal Express segment results in 2025 and 2024 include business optimization costs of $384 million and $251 million, respectively, associated with our plan to drive efficiency and lower our overhead and support costs. Federal Express segment results in 2025 and 2024 also include $21 million and $157 million, respectively, of asset impairment charges associated with the decision to permanently retire certain aircraft and related engines. See the "Business Optimization Costs" and "Asset Impairment Charges" sections of this MD&A for more information.
In July 2023, Federal Express's pilots failed to ratify the tentative successor agreement that was approved by the Air Line Pilots Association, International's FedEx Master Executive Council in the prior month. Negotiations have continued, and the ongoing bargaining process has no effect on our operations. For more information, see Note 1of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
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FEDEX FREIGHT SEGMENT
FedEx Freight LTL service offerings include priority services when speed is critical and economy services when time can be traded for savings. The following table compares revenue, operating expenses, operating income (dollars in millions), operating margin, selected statistics, and operating expenses as a percent of revenue for the years ended May 31:
Percent Change Percent of Revenue
2025 2024 2025 2024
Revenue $ 8,892 $ 9,429 (6) 100.0 % 100.0 %
Operating expenses:
Salaries and employee benefits 3,865 3,923 (1) 43.5 41.6
Purchased transportation 807 877 (8) 9.1 9.3
Rentals 287 280 3 3.2 3.0
Depreciation and amortization 416 404 3 4.7 4.3
Fuel 457 571 (20) 5.1 6.0
Maintenance and repairs 332 330 1 3.7 3.5
Intercompany charges 573 543 6 6.5 5.8
Other 666 680 (2) 7.5 7.2
Total operating expenses 7,403 7,608 (3) 83.3 % 80.7 %
Operating income $ 1,489 $ 1,821 (18)
Operating margin 16.7% 19.3% (260) bp
Average daily shipments (in thousands):
Priority 61.8 64.9 (5)
Economy 28.3 29.1 (3)
Total average daily shipments 90.1 94.0 (4)
Weight per shipment (pounds):
Priority 941 977 (4)
Economy 873 878 (1)
Composite weight per shipment 920 946 (3)
Revenue per shipment:
Priority $ 358.84 $ 361.38 (1)
Economy 405.53 411.25 (1)
Composite revenue per shipment $ 373.52 $ 376.81 (1)
Revenue per hundredweight:
Priority $ 38.13 $ 36.98 3
Economy 46.46 46.86 (1)
Composite revenue per hundredweight $ 40.61 $ 39.82 2
FedEx Freight Segment Revenue
FedEx Freight segment revenue decreased 6% in 2025 primarily due to lower shipments and yields. Revenue was also negatively impacted by two fewer operating days in 2025.
Average daily shipments decreased 4% in 2025 due to reduced demand for our services, primarily resulting from weakness in the industrial economy. Revenue per shipment decreased 1% in 2025 primarily due to lower fuel surcharges and weight per shipment, partially offset by base yield improvement from our continued focus on revenue quality.
FedEx Freight Segment Operating Income
FedEx Freight segment operating income decreased 18% in 2025 due to decreased revenue, partially offset by reduced operating expenses. Operating income was also negatively impacted by two fewer operating days in 2025.
Fuel and purchased transportation expense decreased 20% and 8%, respectively, in 2025 due to decreased shipments and lower fuel prices. Salaries and employee benefits expense decreased 1% in 2025 primarily due to lower staffing to align with decreased shipments and lower variable incentive compensation, partially offset by higher wage rates.
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FINANCIAL CONDITION
LIQUIDITY
Cash and cash equivalents totaled $5.5 billion at May 31, 2025, compared to $6.5 billion at May 31, 2024. The following table provides a summary of our cash flows for the years ended May 31 (in millions):
2025 2024
Operating activities:
Net income $ 4,092 $ 4,331
Retirement plans mark-to-market adjustments (515) (561)
Asset impairment charges 21 157
Business optimization costs, net of payments 43 26
Other noncash charges and credits 8,095 7,790
Changes in assets and liabilities (4,700) (3,431)
Cash provided by operating activities 7,036 8,312
Investing activities:
Capital expenditures (4,055) (5,176)
Purchase of investments (262) (176)
Proceeds from sale of investments 110 38
Proceeds from asset dispositions and other investments 115 114
Cash used in investing activities (4,092) (5,200)
Financing activities:
Principal payments on debt (157) (147)
Proceeds from stock issuances 524 491
Dividends paid (1,339) (1,259)
Purchase of common stock (3,017) (2,500)
Other, net (30) (11)
Cash used in financing activities (4,019) (3,426)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 76 (41)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents $ (999) $ (355)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 5,502 $ 6,501
Cash Provided by Operating Activities.Cash flows from operating activities decreased $1.3 billion in 2025 primarily due to working capital changes driven by an increase in accounts receivable and a decrease in accrued incentive compensation, partially offset by an increase in accounts payable from 2024.
Cash Used in Investing Activities. Capital expenditures decreased in 2025primarily due to decreased spending on aircraft and related equipment, facilities and other, vehicles and trailers, and information and technology investments. See "Capital Resources" below for a more detailed discussion of capital expenditures during 2025.
Financing Activities.We repurchased an aggregate of $3.0 billion, or 10.9 million shares, of our common stock in 2025 through ASR and open market transactions. During 2024, we repurchased an aggregate of $2.5 billion, or 9.8 million shares, of our common stock through ASR transactions.
The following table provides a summary of repurchases of our common stock for the periods ended May 31 (dollars in millions, except per share amounts):
2025 2024
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
Average
Price Paid
per Share
Total
Purchase
Price
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
Average
Price Paid
per Share
Total
Purchase
Price
Common stock repurchases 10,935,794 $ 274.34 $ 3,000 9,790,704 $ 255.34 $ 2,500
In fiscal 2026 we completed $500 million of share repurchases through open market transactions through July 21, 2025. After these repurchases, $1.6 billion remained available to be used for repurchases under the stock repurchase program approved by our Board of
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Directors in March 2024, which is the only program that currently exists. See "Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" and Note 1of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.
CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our operations are capital intensive, characterized by significant investments in aircraft, package handling and sort equipment, technology, vehicles and trailers, and facilities. The amount and timing of capital investments depend on various factors, including pre-existing contractual commitments, anticipated volume growth, domestic and international economic conditions, new or enhanced services, geographical expansion of services, availability of satisfactory financing, and actions of regulatory authorities.
The following table compares capital expenditures by asset category and reportable segment for the years ended May 31 (in millions):
2025 2024 Percent Change
Aircraft and related equipment $ 1,251 $ 1,627 (23)
Package handling and ground support equipment 935 974 (4)
Information technology 504 656 (23)
Vehicles and trailers 434 709 (39)
Facilities and other 931 1,210 (23)
Total capital expenditures $ 4,055 $ 5,176 (22)
Federal Express segment $ 3,505 $ 4,591 (24)
FedEx Freight segment 437 461 (5)
Other 113 124 (9)
Total capital expenditures $ 4,055 $ 5,176 (22)
Capital expenditures decreased $1.1 billion during 2025 primarily due to decreased spending on aircraft and related equipment, vehicles and trailers, facilities and other, and information and technology investments at Federal Express.
GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
We are providing the following information in compliance with Rule 13-01 of Regulation S-X, "Financial Disclosures about Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities" with respect to our senior unsecured debt securities and Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2020-1AA (the "Certificates").
The $19.4 billion principal amount of senior unsecured notes were issued by FedEx under a shelf registration statement and are guaranteed by certain direct and indirect subsidiaries of FedEx ("Guarantor Subsidiaries"). FedEx owns, directly or indirectly, 100% of each Guarantor Subsidiary. The guarantees are (1) unsecured obligations of the respective Guarantor Subsidiary, (2) rank equally with all of their other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness, and (3) are full and unconditional and joint and several. If we sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of all of the capital stock or all or substantially all of the assets of a Guarantor Subsidiary to any person that is not an affiliate of FedEx, the guarantee of that Guarantor Subsidiary will terminate, and holders of debt securities will no longer have a direct claim against such subsidiary under the guarantee. See Note 7of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for information regarding the exchange offer and consent solicitation transactions related to the guarantee of FedEx Freight that were completed during the third quarter of 2025.
Additionally, FedEx fully and unconditionally guarantees the payment obligation of Federal Express in respect of the $737 million principal amount of the Certificates. See Note 7of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the terms of the Certificates.
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The following tables present summarized financial information for FedEx (as Parent) and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a combined basis after transactions and balances within the combined entities have been eliminated.
Parent and Guarantor Subsidiaries
The following table presents the summarized balance sheet information as of May 31, 2025 (in millions):
Current Assets $ 9,514
Intercompany Receivable 4,278
Total Assets 83,125
Current Liabilities 11,202
Intercompany Payable -
Total Liabilities $ 52,324
The following table presents the summarized statement of income information as of May 31, 2025 (in millions):
Revenue $ 65,138
Intercompany Charges, net (3,091)
Operating Income 4,084
Intercompany Charges, net 251
Income Before Income Taxes 3,542
Net Income $ 2,499
The following tables present summarized financial information for FedEx (as Parent Guarantor) and Federal Express (as Subsidiary Issuer) on a combined basis after transactions and balances within the combined entities have been eliminated.
Parent Guarantor and Subsidiary Issuer
The following table presents the summarized balance sheet information as of May 31, 2025 (in millions):
Current Assets $ 9,504
Intercompany Receivable 581
Total Assets 72,044
Current Liabilities 10,310
Intercompany Payable -
Total Liabilities $ 49,200
The following table presents the summarized statement of income information as of May 31, 2025 (in millions):
Revenue $ 55,909
Intercompany Charges, net (3,906)
Operating Income 2,858
Intercompany Charges, net (1)
Income Before Income Taxes 3,330
Net Income $ 2,486
LIQUIDITY OUTLOOK
In response to current business and economic conditions as referenced above in the "Outlook" section of this MD&A, we are continuing to actively manage and optimize our capital allocation in response to the slowdown in the economy, inflationary pressures, changing fuel prices, geopolitical conflicts, and uncertainty regarding international trade, including the impact of tariffs. We held $5.5 billion in cash at May 31, 2025 and had $3.5 billion in available liquidity under our $1.75 billion three-year credit agreement (the "Three-Year Credit Agreement) and $1.75 billion five-year credit agreement (the "Five-Year Credit Agreement" and together with the Three-Year Credit Agreement, the "Credit Agreements"), and we believe that our cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations, and available financing sources will be adequate to meet our liquidity needs, which include operational requirements, expected capital expenditures, voluntary pension contributions, dividend payments, and stock repurchases. In the third quarter of 2025, we began incurring costs and expenses related to the planned spin-off of FedEx Freight, which are expected to be significant but will not materially adversely affect our liquidity.
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During 2025, we completed $3.0 billion in share repurchases through ASR and open market transactions. In fiscal 2026, we have completed $500 million of share repurchases through open market transactions through July 21, 2025 and expect to continue repurchasing additional shares of our common stock subject to market conditions, our liquidity needs, and other factors. See Note 1of the accompanying consolidated financial statements and "Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" for more information.
Our cash and cash equivalents balance at May 31, 2025 includes $3.3 billion of cash in foreign jurisdictions associated with our permanent reinvestment strategy. We are able to access the majority of this cash without a material tax cost and do not believe that the indefinite reinvestment of these funds impairs our ability to meet our U.S. domestic debt or working capital obligations.
Our capital expenditures for 2026 are expected to be approximately $4.5 billion, $0.4 billion higher than 2025. The increase is driven by investment in Network 2.0 initiatives and other efforts to modernize our facilities and package handling equipment in the U.S. and internationally. Aircraft spend is expected to decline to approximately $1.0 billion, $0.3 billion lower than 2025.
We have several aircraft modernization programs under way that are supported by the purchase of Boeing 777 Freighter ("B777F") and Boeing 767-300 Freighter ("B767F") aircraft. These aircraft are significantly more fuel-efficient per unit than the aircraft types previously utilized, and these expenditures are necessary to achieve significant long-term operating savings and to replace older aircraft. Our ability to delay the timing of these aircraft-related expenditures is limited without incurring significant costs to modify existing purchase agreements. During 2025, Federal Express exercised options to purchase eight B777F aircraft and ten ATR 72-600F aircraft. Of the eight B777F aircraft, three are expected to be delivered in calendar year 2026 and five are expected to be delivered in calendar year 2027. Of the ten ATR 72-600F aircraft, three are expected to be delivered in calendar year 2027, four in calendar year 2028, and three in calendar year 2029. Additionally, we have extended the retirement of the entire Boeing MD-11 fleet from 2028 to the end of 2032.
We have additional obligations as part of our ordinary course of business, beyond those committed for capital expenditures, which consist of debt obligations, lease obligations, and obligations and commitments for purchases of goods and services. Refer to Note 7, Note 8, and Note 19of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information. In addition, we have certain tax positions that are further discussed in Note 13of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. We do not have any guarantees or other off-balance sheet financing arrangements, including variable interest entities, which we believe could have a material impact on our financial condition or liquidity.
We have a shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that allows us to sell, in one or more future offerings, any combination of our unsecured debt securities and common stock and allows pass-through trusts formed by Federal Express to sell, in one or more future offerings, pass-through certificates.
The Three-Year Credit Agreement and the Five-Year Credit Agreement expire in March 2027 and March 2029, respectively. Each of the Credit Agreements has a $125 million letter of credit sublimit. The Credit Agreements are available to finance our operations and other cash flow needs. As of May 31, 2025, no amounts were outstanding under the Credit Agreements, no commercial paper was outstanding, and we had $250 million of the letter of credit sublimit unused under the Credit Agreements. See Note 7of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a description of the terms and significant covenants of the Credit Agreements.
In fiscal 2026, we made voluntary contributions of $200 million to our tax-qualified U.S. domestic pension plan ("U.S. Pension Plan") through July 21, 2025 and anticipate making up to $400 million of additional voluntary contributions during the remainder of 2026. There are currently no required minimum contributions to our U.S. Pension Plan, and we maintain a credit balance related to our cumulative excess voluntary pension contributions over those required that exceeds $3.0 billion. The credit balance is subtracted from plan assets to determine the minimum funding requirements. Therefore, we have the flexibility to eliminate all required contributions to our principal U.S. Pension Plan for several years. Our U.S. Pension Plan has ample funds to meet expected benefit payments.
On June 9, 2025, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.45 per share of common stock. The dividend was paid on July 8, 2025 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 23, 2025. Each quarterly dividend payment is subject to review and approval by our Board of Directors, and we evaluate our dividend payment amount on an annual basis. There are no material restrictions on our ability to declare dividends, nor are there any material restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to transfer funds to us in the form of cash dividends, loans, or advances.
Standard & Poor's has assigned us a senior unsecured debt credit rating of BBB, a Certificates rating of AA-, a commercial paper rating of A-2, and a ratings outlook of "stable." Moody's Investors Service has assigned us an unsecured debt credit rating of Baa2, a Certificates rating of Aa3, a commercial paper rating of P-2, and a ratings outlook of "stable." Our interest expense may increase in the event of a reduction in our credit rating. If our unsecured debt or commercial paper ratings are reduced to below investment grade, our access to the capital markets may become limited.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make significant judgments and estimates to develop amounts reflected and disclosed in the financial statements. In many cases, there are alternative policies or estimation techniques that could be used. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the many estimates that are required to prepare the financial statements of a complex, global corporation. However, even under optimal circumstances, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and new or better information.
The estimates discussed below include the financial statement elements that are either the most judgmental or involve the selection or application of alternative accounting policies and are material to our results of operations and financial condition. Management has discussed the development and selection of these critical accounting estimates with the Audit and Finance Committee of our Board of Directors and with our independent registered public accounting firm.
PENSION PLANS
The rules for pension accounting are complex and can produce volatility in our earnings, financial condition, and liquidity. Our defined benefit pension plans are measured using actuarial techniques that reflect management's assumptions for expected returns on assets ("EROA"), discount rate, and demographic experience such as salary increases, expected retirement, mortality, and employee turnover. Differences between these assumptions and actual experience are recognized in our earnings through MTM accounting.
Our annual MTM adjustment is highly sensitive to the discount rate and EROA assumptions, which are as follows:
U.S. Pension Plans International Pension Plans
2025 2024 2025 2024
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation 5.94 % 5.58 % 4.40 % 4.29 %
Discount rate used to determine net periodic benefit cost 5.58 5.20 4.29 4.21
Expected long-term rate of return on assets 6.75 6.50 3.59 3.55
The following sensitivity analysis shows the impact of a 50-basis-point change in the EROA and discount rate assumptions for our largest pension plan and the resulting increase (decrease) in our projected benefit obligation ("PBO") as of May 31, 2025 and expense for the year ended May 31, 2025 (in millions):
50 Basis
Point Increase
50 Basis
Point Decrease
Pension Plan
EROA:
Effect on pension expense $ (131) $ 131
Discount Rate:
Effect on pension expense 15 (17)
Effect on PBO (1,275) 1,397
See Note 14of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information about our pension plans.
INCOME TAXES
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our income taxes are a function of our income, tax planning opportunities available to us, statutory tax rates, and the income tax laws in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. These tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by us and the respective governmental taxing authorities. As a result, significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense and in evaluating our tax positions, including evaluating uncertainties. Also, our effective tax rate is significantly affected by the earnings generated in each jurisdiction, so unexpected fluctuations in the geographic mix of earnings could significantly impact our tax rate. Our intercompany transactions are based on globally accepted transfer pricing principles, which align profits with the business operations and functions of the various legal entities in our international business.
We evaluate our tax positions quarterly and adjust the balances as new information becomes available. These evaluations are based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax laws or their interpretations, audit activity, and changes in our business. In addition, management considers the advice of third parties in making conclusions regarding tax consequences.
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Tax contingencies arise from uncertainty in the application of tax rules throughout the many jurisdictions in which we operate. Despite our belief that our tax return positions are consistent with applicable tax laws, taxing authorities could challenge certain positions. We record tax benefits for uncertain tax positions based upon management's evaluation of the information available at the reporting date. To be recognized in the financial statements, a tax benefit must be at least more likely than not of being sustained based on the technical merits. The benefit for positions meeting the recognition threshold is measured as the largest benefit more likely than not of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. Significant judgment is required in making these determinations and adjustments to unrecognized tax benefits may be necessary to reflect actual taxes payable upon settlement.
Deferred income tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable on taxable income in future years. Such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as from net operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryforwards. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the adequacy of future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings, and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates to make this determination, and as a result there is a risk that these estimates will have to be revised as new information is received. To the extent we do not consider it more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will be recovered, a valuation allowance is established. We believe we will generate sufficient future taxable income to realize the tax benefits related to the remaining net deferred tax assets in our consolidated balance sheets that are not subject to valuation allowances. We record the taxes for global intangible low-taxed income as a period cost.
Our income tax positions are based on currently enacted tax laws. As further guidance is issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies, any resulting changes to our estimates will be treated in accordance with the relevant accounting guidance.
For more information, see the "Income Taxes" section of this MD&A and Note 13of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
SELF-INSURANCE ACCRUALS
Our self-insurance reserves are established for estimates of ultimate loss on all incurred claims, including incurred-but-not-reported claims. Components of our self-insurance reserves included in this critical accounting estimate are workers' compensation claims, vehicle accidents, property and cargo loss, general business liabilities, and benefits paid under employee disability programs. These reserves are primarily based on the actuarially estimated cost of claims incurred as of the balance sheet date. These estimates include judgment about severity of claims, frequency and volume of claims, healthcare inflation, seasonality, and plan designs. The use of any estimation technique in this area is inherently sensitive given the magnitude of claims involved and the length of time until the ultimate cost is known, which may be several years.
We believe our recorded obligations for these expenses are consistently measured and appropriate. Nevertheless, changes in accident frequency and severity, healthcare costs, insurance retention levels, and other factors can materially affect the estimates for these liabilities and affect our results of operations. Self-insurance accruals reflected in our balance sheet for the period ended May 31 are as follows (in millions):
2025 2024
Short-Term $ 1,858 $ 1,931
Long-Term 4,033 3,701
Total $ 5,891 $ 5,632
A five-percent reduction or improvement in the assumed claim severity used to estimate our self-insurance accruals would result in an increase or decrease of approximately $295 million in our reserves and expenses as of and for the year ended May 31, 2025. For more information, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of this Annual Report.
LONG-LIVED ASSETS
USEFUL LIVES AND SALVAGE VALUES. Our business is capital intensive, with approximately 59% of our owned assets invested in our transportation and information system infrastructures.
The depreciation or amortization of our capital assets over their estimated useful lives, and the determination of any salvage values, requires management to make judgments about future events. Because we utilize many of our capital assets over relatively long periods (the majority of aircraft costs are depreciated over 18 to 30 years), we periodically evaluate whether adjustments to our estimated service lives or salvage values are necessary to ensure these estimates properly match the economic use of the asset. These evaluations consider usage, maintenance costs, and economic factors that affect the useful life of an asset. This evaluation may result in changes in the estimated lives and residual values used to depreciate our aircraft and other equipment.
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For our aircraft, we consider actual experience with the same or similar aircraft types and future volume projections in estimating the useful lives and expected salvage values. We typically assign no residual value due to the utilization of our aircraft in cargo configuration, which results in little to no value at the end of their useful life. These estimates affect the amount of depreciation expense recognized in a period and, ultimately, the gain or loss on the disposal of the asset. Changes in the estimated lives of assets will result in an increase or decrease in the amount of depreciation recognized in future periods and could have a material impact on our results of operations (as described below). Historically, gains and losses on disposals of operating equipment have not been material. However, such amounts may differ materially in the future due to changes in business levels, technological obsolescence, accident frequency, regulatory changes, and other factors beyond our control.
IMPAIRMENT. As of May 31, 2025, the Federal Express global air network included a fleet of 698 aircraft (including 312 supplemental aircraft) that provide delivery of packages and freight to more than 220 countries and territories through a wide range of U.S. and international shipping services. While certain aircraft are utilized in primary geographic areas (U.S. versus international), we operate an integrated global network, and utilize our aircraft and other modes of transportation to achieve the lowest cost of delivery while maintaining our service commitments to our customers. Because of the integrated nature of our global network, our aircraft are interchangeable across routes and geographies, giving us flexibility with our fleet planning to meet changing global economic conditions and maintain and modify aircraft as needed.
Because of the lengthy lead times for aircraft manufacture and modifications, we must anticipate volume levels and plan our fleet requirements years in advance, and make commitments for aircraft based on those projections. Furthermore, the timing and availability of certain used aircraft types (particularly those with better fuel efficiency) may create limited opportunities to acquire these aircraft at favorable prices in advance of our capacity needs. These activities create risks that asset capacity may exceed demand. At May 31, 2025, we had two purchased aircraft that were not yet placed into service.
We evaluate our long-lived assets used in operations for impairment when events and circumstances indicate that the undiscounted cash flows to be generated by that asset group are less than the carrying amounts of the asset group and may not be recoverable. If the cash flows do not exceed the carrying value, the asset must be adjusted to its current fair value. We operate integrated transportation networks, and accordingly, cash flows for most of our operating assets are assessed at a network level, not at an individual asset level for our analysis of impairment. Further, decisions about capital investments are evaluated based on the effect on the overall network rather than the return on an individual asset. We make decisions to remove certain long-lived assets from service based on projections of reduced capacity needs or lower operating costs of newer aircraft types, and those decisions may result in an impairment charge. Assets held for disposal must be adjusted to their estimated fair values less costs to sell when the decision is made to dispose of the asset and certain other criteria are met. The fair value determinations for such aircraft may require management estimates, as there may not be active markets for some of these aircraft. Such estimates are subject to revision from period to period.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, we made the decision to permanently retire from service 12 aircraft and eight related engines, resulting in a noncash impairment charge of $21 million ($16 million, net of tax, or $0.06 per diluted share). These retirements included two Boeing 757-200 aircraft, seven Airbus A300-600 aircraft, three Boeing MD-11 aircraft, and align with Federal Express's fleet reduction and modernization strategy as we continue to improve our global network efficiency and better align air network capacity with anticipated demand. All of these permanently retired aircraft were temporarily idled and not in revenue service.
During 2024, Federal Express made the decision to permanently retire from service 22 Boeing 757-200 aircraft and seven related engines to align with Federal Express's fleet reduction and modernization strategy. As a consequence of this decision, a noncash impairment charge of $157 million ($120 million, net of tax, or $0.48 per diluted share) was recorded in 2024.
In 2023 we accelerated the retirement of the entire Boeing MD-11 fleet by the end of 2028. In 2025 we made the decision to extend the retirement plan to have the fleet retired by the end of 2032 to better align the air network capacity of Federal Express to match anticipated shipment volumes. As a result of this decision, we had a net decrease in depreciation expense in 2025 of $19 million.
In the normal management of our aircraft fleet, we routinely idle aircraft and engines temporarily due to maintenance cycles and adjustments of our network capacity to match seasonality and overall customer demand levels. Temporarily idled assets are classified as available-for-use, and we continue to record depreciation expense associated with these assets. These temporarily idled assets are assessed for impairment and remaining life on a quarterly basis. The criteria for determining whether an asset has been permanently removed from service (and, as a result, is potentially impaired) include, but are not limited to, our global economic outlook and the impact of our outlook on our current and projected volume levels, including capacity needs during our peak shipping seasons; the introduction of new fleet types or decisions to permanently retire an aircraft fleet from operations; and changes to planned service expansion activities. At May 31, 2025, we had 22 aircraft temporarily idled. These aircraft have been idled for an average of ten months and are expected to return to revenue service in order to meet expected demand.
LEASES. We utilize operating leases to finance certain of our aircraft, facilities, and equipment. Such arrangements typically shift the risk of loss on the residual value of the assets at the end of the lease period to the lessor. We had $17 billion in operating lease liabilities and $16 billion in related right-of-use assets on the balance sheet as of May 31, 2025. The weighted-average remaining lease term of all operating leases outstanding at May 31, 2025 was 9.7 years.
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Our leases generally contain options to extend or terminate the lease. We reevaluate our leases on a regular basis to consider the economic and strategic incentives of exercising the renewal options, and how they align with our operating strategy. Therefore, substantially all the renewal option periods are not included within the lease term and the associated payments are not included in the measurement of the right-of-use asset and lease liability as the options to extend are not reasonably certain at lease commencement. Short-term leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recognized in the right-of-use asset and lease liability on the consolidated balance sheets.
The lease liabilities are measured at the lease commencement date and determined using the present value of the minimum lease payments not yet paid and our incremental borrowing rate, which approximates the rate at which we would borrow, on a collateralized basis, over the term of a lease in the applicable currency environment. The interest rate implicit in the lease is generally not determinable in transactions where we are the lessee.
The determination of whether a lease is accounted for as a finance lease or an operating lease requires management to make estimates primarily about the fair value of the asset and its estimated economic useful life. In addition, our evaluation includes ensuring we properly account for build-to-suit lease arrangements and making judgments about whether various forms of lessee involvement allow the lessee to control the underlying leased asset during the construction period. We believe we have well-defined and controlled processes for making these evaluations, including obtaining third-party appraisals for material transactions to assist us in making these evaluations.
GOODWILL. We had $6.6 billion of recorded goodwill at May 31, 2025 and $6.4 billion of recorded goodwill at May 31, 2024 from our business acquisitions, representing the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Several factors give rise to goodwill in our acquisitions, such as the expected benefits from synergies of the combination and the existing workforce of the acquired business.
Goodwill is reviewed at least annually for impairment. In our evaluation of goodwill impairment, we perform a qualitative assessment that requires management judgment and the use of estimates to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. An entity has an unconditional option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit and proceed directly to performing the quantitative goodwill impairment test. An entity may resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period. We performed a qualitative assessment of goodwill in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 2024.
As part of our qualitative assessment, we consider changes in the macroeconomic environment such as the general economic conditions, limitations on accessing capital, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, and other developments in equity and credit markets.
When we perform quantitative assessments, we compare the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value (including attributable goodwill). Fair value is estimated using standard valuation methodologies (principally the income or market approach classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy) incorporating market participant considerations and management's assumptions on revenue growth rates, operating margins, discount rates, and expected capital expenditures. Estimates used by management can significantly affect the outcome of the impairment test. Changes in forecasted operating results and other assumptions could materially affect these estimates.
We evaluated each of our reporting units during the fourth quarters of 2025and 2024andthe estimated fair value of each of our reporting units exceeded their carrying values as of the end of 2025 and 2024; therefore, no impairment was recorded during any of the years presented.
LEGAL AND OTHER CONTINGENCIES
We are subject to various loss contingencies in connection with our operations. Contingent liabilities are difficult to measure, as their measurement is subject to multiple factors that are not easily predicted or projected. Further, additional complexity in measuring these liabilities arises due to the various jurisdictions in which these matters occur, which makes our ability to predict their outcome highly uncertain. Moreover, different accounting rules must be employed to account for these items based on the nature of the contingency. Accordingly, significant management judgment is required to assess these matters and to make determinations about the measurement of a liability, if any. Certain pending loss contingencies are described in Note 21of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, the aggregate liability, if any, of individual matters or groups of related matters not specifically described in Note 21is not expected to be material to our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. The following describes our methods and associated processes for evaluating these matters.
Because of the complex environment in which we operate, we are subject to numerous legal proceedings and claims, including those relating to general commercial matters, governmental enforcement actions, employment-related claims, vehicle accidents, and service providers. Accounting guidance for contingencies requires an accrual of estimated loss from a contingency, such as a non-income tax or other legal proceeding or claim, when it is probable (i.e., the future event or events are likely to occur) that a loss has been incurred
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and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. This guidance also requires disclosure of a loss contingency matter when, in management's judgment, a material loss is reasonably possible or probable.
During the preparation of our financial statements, we evaluate our contingencies to determine whether it is probable, reasonably possible, or remote that a liability has been incurred. A loss is recognized for all contingencies deemed probable and reasonably estimable. For unresolved contingencies with potentially material exposure that are deemed reasonably possible, we evaluate whether a potential loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated.
Our evaluation of these matters is the result of a comprehensive process designed to ensure that accounting recognition of a loss or disclosure of these contingencies is made in a timely manner and involves our legal and accounting personnel, as well as external counsel where applicable. The process includes regular communications during each quarter and scheduled meetings shortly before the issuance of our financial statements to evaluate any new legal proceedings and the status of existing matters.
In determining whether a loss should be accrued or a loss contingency disclosed, we evaluate, among other factors:
the current status of each matter within the scope and context of the entire lawsuit or proceeding (e.g., the lengthy and complex nature of class-action matters);
the procedural status of each matter;
any opportunities to dispose of a lawsuit on its merits before trial (i.e., motion to dismiss or for summary judgment);
the amount of time remaining before a trial date;
the status of discovery;
the status of settlement, arbitration, or mediation proceedings; and
our judgment regarding the likelihood of success prior to or at trial.
In reaching our conclusions with respect to accrual of a loss or loss contingency disclosure, we take a holistic view of each matter based on these factors and the information available prior to the issuance of our financial statements. Uncertainty with respect to an individual factor or combination of these factors may impact our decisions related to accrual or disclosure of a loss contingency, including a conclusion that we are unable to establish an estimate of possible loss or a meaningful range of possible loss. We update our disclosures to reflect our most current understanding of the contingencies at the time we issue our financial statements. However, events may arise that were not anticipated and the outcome of a contingency may result in a loss to us that differs materially from our previously estimated liability or range of possible loss.
Despite the inherent complexity in the accounting and disclosure of contingencies, we believe that our processes are robust and thorough and provide a consistent framework for management in evaluating the potential outcome of contingencies for proper accounting recognition and disclosure.
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